Aaaand these little gems, too, ‘cuz they’re adorable and I need to get it out of my system…

I like that one ‘cuz that’s where I am. :)

I realize V-Day’s, like, a second away, and you can’t exactly get them in time for the Day of Cuddles, but I just HAD to show you those – I hope you understand. They’re too precious for words. Okay, now we move to desserts… these you can still whip up in time!

If you’re a fiend for projects and printables today, how about some love note candy wrappers? These pastel printable delights – made especially for Valentine’s Day – were created by who else but one of my idols, Ez (of Creature Comforts) and her amazing partner, Marichelle, both of the super cute online shop, Nice Package. I love them!!!

This is what the printable PDF looks like; click here to visit Nice Package for the download!

By the way, I caught a glimpse of these lovely postage stamps on Paper Pastries and fell madly for them.

I’ve seen most of these from afar, on wedding invitations and the like, but I’ve never actually seen them all together like this, and they officially need to be in my life.

I don’t even necessarily need a letter, I just want these stamps; somebody, please, get me these stamps.

I really got a kick out of seeing this super cute light bulb Valentine idea Arwen O’Reilly Griffith from Craft found over at Design*Sponge! How absolutely perfect is this, especially for maybe the handyman in your life? (Assuming that your significant other is the handyman. It might be awkward to gift this to your hired handyman, though I’m certain he’d appreciate it.)

If you’re serious about this project, it’s a pretty comprehensive tutorial; down to instructions on hollowing out a lightbulb… so, since I know nothing about that, visit Arwen’s post or get thee to Design*Sponge to begin turning old crap into new sap! (You know, ‘sap,’ as in sappiness… as in the essence of V-Day… maybe I’m just cracking myself up here.)

Another cute thing, followed by another craft thing, then I’m done, I PROMISE (for now, at least… and I crossed my fingers anyway so whatev); how cute are these Kraft Address Labels from Paper Pastries?

LOVE.

I think this is great, so I thought I’d share it with all of you in case anyone’s looking to deliver a tiny little gift in a super cute way:

It’s called a “jar of hearts” and it’s by Jessica Wilson. Click here for the how-to! I found it over at CRAFT, a great place for, well, crafting. :)

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Okay my dear, dear friends… I think that’s quite enough for now. It’s just that I found SO MUCH amazing stuff and, well, my world is one of all or nothing/go big or go home… which translates into bringing back everything I love, with nary an exception. Time-consuming for me, pretty good deal for you, eh? ;)

With that said, I’m going to return to enjoying the heck out of my new haircut. I feel like a brand new woman! Haircuts: highly recommended. Lots of love to everyone! I hope your weekends are warm and fuzzy.

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday (!!!) and if it’s chilly in your neck of the woods, you might find yourself challenged in the cute outfit department. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Just throw on a simple red scarf like Katie did in her engagement session with Marianne Taylor of Marianne Taylor Photography, and watch your entire look go from ho-hum to va va voom!

But then again, maybe the chill factor isn’t as much of an issue for you. If that’s the case, then I envy you, but more importantly I have the most beautiful engagement session to share with you, which I discovered – where else – on the always inspiring Style Me Pretty. The stunning photography is by lunaphoto, and while it may be a little too nippy out there, even in Cali, how could I NOT bring this loveliness to your eyes…

So, I was thinking… and it led to an idea (hoorah!). How about edible escort card numbers?

I saw these terrific 0-9 number cookie cutters at my new favorite shop Cox & Cox (I swear, they’re not a sponsor…), and thought – how wonderful would it be to put these baked numbers inside of favor boxes for your guests? Not only would they guide them safely to their tables, but your guests would have a nice snack along the way!

The only issue concerning edible escort numbers: they might… okay, they will get a little stale if you bake them way in advance of your wedding day. So here’s a tip: ask one of your bridesmaids if she’d be so kind as to bake them for you. (Sorry, bridesmaids… I might have just added another task to your long and winding road of a list. Forgive me!)

I found out about these darling bits of sweetness from Two Brunettes, and I’m telling you, the find absolutely made my day! They’re quite the perfect touch for a wedding ’round this time of year, wouldn’t you say? You can get them for yourself over at Cox & Cox, and the only thing stopping me from placing an order on the double is a crippling lack of knowledge about the shelf life of sugar cubes. (Will they still look like that in 5 months? I’m not well versed in sugar cubes, I’m a sugar packet girl. This is the same kind of feeling that’s kept my hand paralyzed, with the mouse hovering over the checkout button on the sparklers order…)

So, as usual, I was looking for more really cute, chic details for my upcoming nuptials, and I think I’ve found yet another one worth sharing.

Striped paper straws. A crowd favorite, dating all the way back to childhood. I can’t be the only one who blew bubbles in my chocolate milk when a wee babe. I’m totally invested (mentally, we’ll see about budget-ly) in these cutie-patooties.

I found those super cute ones above over at Design is Mine, and I didn’t just get excited, I pretty much flipped out. After this long, it still amazes me how aggressively the adrenaline within me can race throughout my body the moment I see something as insignificant as a paper straw. I think it has something to do with all the colors and choices. If there’s one thing I love, it is having options. (They are also my downfall; I am indecisive as a rule. But we all love the things that are not the best for us, so I’d say that makes me normal. At least… that’s what I tell myself when I go to bed at night.) Anyway, I choose not to question it. Especially since, when I go with it, I always end up in my happy place!

It might interest you to know that the person responsible for the photographic bliss above is food/prop stylist Paul Lowe, and it might interest you even more to know that he has an incredibly addictive blog, called Sweet Paul. Oh, how I heart him.

***

Okay, so we’ve established one fact so far: paper straws rule. Especially colorful, striped ones. But now we need something deserving of said straws, right? How about THIS…

Want to get your hands on some colorful pop for your big day? Project Wedding – which is where I found the awesomeness immediately above – suggests BevMo. Located in CA, they’ve got a wide selection of these super cute specialty sodas (and if you don’t live in CA, you can buy ‘em online – gotta love the internet). You can also check in your local gourmet food shop for these uniquely joyful-looking drinks. So, they’re around! You just may have to do a little searching depending on where you’re located. :)

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Next are some awesome pics by Cindy Ensley, which I discovered via the lovely Audrey of Urbanic + Parcel Post. (My original description of Audrey involved “the pretty paper pusher,” but I thought it made her sound like some sort of fetish drug dealer, which seemed like a bad thing. So “the lovely” it is. And lovely, you are, Audrey!)

I know, SO cute. Word on the ‘net is that you can find these babies over at Kikkerland. It’s a great source for stuff like this; I visit the place quite a bit. Not to mention, pretty much everyone I credited within this here post suggests the same. Aside from Kikkerland, you can check out Pipii’s Marketplace, which carries the exact same brand.

In other news, check out Cindy’s save the dates -

Absolutely darling, wouldn’t you agree? And totally DIY-licious. You’ll probably be familiar with her supplies - she used one of Martha’s punch sets, kraft paper (you already know the feelings I have for kraft paper), some AWESOME rubber stamps and white embossing powder. See, all it takes are a few simple tools, and a lot of imagination and creativity!

Okay, just one more pretty picture of my new love:

Found these cherry red beauties over on Jordan Ferney’s Oh Happy Day! I’m sure you could figure out a way to work those stunners into a Valentine’s Day party, or even better, a love-themed wedding. Though that’s what all weddings should be themed. Oh sappy me; that’s just how I like to end things. On a sap note!

Oh, hello again! I didn’t see you there. Back for thirds, I see. Well, you’re in for some good news, buddy. I think it’s safe to say I’ve had a 1 – 2 – 3 PUNCH of post prettiness as far as pretty posts go these days. (If I do say so myself.) And my excitement level about this third one is off the charts…

Speaking of charts (yeah, I just did that), how perfect are these for getting in the Valentine’s Day spirit? They’re Love Charts, loosely and lovingly adapted from your typical doctor’s eye chart… AND I LOVE THEM.

I have these free printables, but I haven’t yet created something as darling as this satchel (above) I discovered while flipping through designinglee‘s photostream (which I found while perusing some craft photostreams – talk about inspiration overload, by the way).

Look what else she did with it! This girl is officially one of my soul sistas.

I know you want to know how to get your hands on this, and I’m excited to tell you! Good relationship, we have here. It’s from ink-bloom! Go ahead, check them out. You get the free printable when you sign up for their emails!!! I am so plugging them for free right now. How nice am I?

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So, I hope y’all are having yourselves a fabulous Friday thus far. However, if that’s not exactly how you’d describe your day, then I’m betting this will cheer you right up…

I found this remarkably beautiful, drool-inducing Valentine’s Day dessert buffet – created by the amazing Amy Atlas – during what turned out to be a very exciting visit to the ultimate foodie mecca, Hostess with the Mostess.

I’m a big fan of Amelia Lyon’s work. I’ve featured her before, in one of my favorite wedding photography posts so far.

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And now, a little Bakerella love…

Wanna give someone in your life a big ol’ KISS? Let me recommend Bakerella’s Hershey-but-actually-Oreo Kisses! It’s a sort of hybrid delight, that you’re gonna like. I guarantee it. But I can’t guarantee you’re gonna like the way you look if you eat too many. So make sure you give ‘em away, mostly.

Isn’t this super? They look like Hershey’s Kisses… they act like Hershey’s Kisses… but they taste like… well I don’t know what they taste like because I haven’t yet made them. But the answer’s probably good.

Take a trip on over to Bakerella, and try your hand at these Kiss-tastic treats.

***

Hey, guess what?

HERE’S ONE MORE!

A pretty printable – for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

These beautiful DIY favor labels are sooooo perfect if you place them on one of my favorite things in the whole wide world: brown paper bags! (Yes, you’re right – I’m easily pleased.)

I found these printable labels on Flights of Fancy, a lovely blog brought to you by the Betsywhite Stationery Boutique. It’s focus is on – you guessed it – wedding stationery. GOT TO LOVE that.

Here are the tools you’ll need to make your own:

- brown paper lunch bags from the grocery store (if you go to Michael’s you’ll find them, too, but they’re a little bit pricier than those at the grocery store)

Instead, let’s start with the loveliest free printable V-Day postcard you’ve ever seen. I’m assuming. Because this is pretty freakin’ lovely, and I haven’t been this ticked by a postcard picture in YEARS. Thank you, Wedding Chicks, for this masterpiece theater! Go get it here!

Those two young ladies above are responsible for the photographic heaven that follows…

This engagement session features Rachel and Phillip, a lovely couple who quite possibly have two of the most photogenic faces I’ve ever seen. What do you think?

But it isn’t their shared cuteness that inspires me when I look at these photos… it’s all about the radiant color. His faded red trousers, her bright yellow sundress… and I absolutely ADORE the choice to gather up that rainbow of golf balls for the intimate close-up shot. Magnifique! Who knew there was so much photographic beauty to be captured, on a miniature golf course. Leave it to pros like Vania and Christine to figure that one out.

Shot after shot, I’m struck by the simple beauty of these photos. Rachel and Phillip look like they’re genuinely having fun. And that’s how it should be! I just love it when it’s obvious. I can’t get over the idyllic green scenery and how it mixes with their bubblegum threads.

By the way, this is the perfect time to show you some of my favorite shots from an absolutely darling inspiration session styled and shot by Vania and Christine. I saw this soft, sweet loveliness on a visit to 100 Layer Cake, and have been meaning to show these pics some daylight. I seriously couldn’t wait to show them to you! The vintage feel of this shoot gets me so excited about all the little details that can go into your tablescapes alone! And take a close look at that bouquet… according to 100 Layer Cake, it’s made of door knobs and drawer pulls from Anthropologie! No shocker there, just another fine reason to love that store (as if I needed more reasons). Details like these are what make my heart sing.

This absolutely darling freebie is from Ez of the incredible Creature Comforts blog, an AMAZING site overflowing with lovely ideas and fantastic projects, all born of Ez’s remarkably creative mind. Ez is ridiculously inspiring to so many of us. For those of you familiar with her work, you know what I mean. Thank you, Ez, for all the goodness you bring to so many!

Take a look at her step-by-step pictorial guide for making these cuties:

Here are the basic tools/supplies needed for this project, as advised by Ez:

Want to make your own? Just visit this link; Ez provides detailed instructions, as well as alternative approaches to certain steps in the project. When you’re ready to begin,just click where it says “DOWNLOAD FREE-VALENTINE-PRINTABLES.” Wham bam, you’re set.

Maybe you’ve got a hot date this Valentine’s Day. Do ya? Or maybe you and your honey have extra-special plans for this fast approaching day of lovers. Yeah, you know what I’m driving at.

… I’m referring to a nice, intimate dinner at home, followed by some innocent cuddling. You dirty girl.

If it’s neither the first nor the second, then maybe you simply live for deliciously dainty design. Yeah? Then we’re soul sistas in that respect. Now, whatever you’re doing for Valentine’s Day, one thing is for sure: you’re going to look fabulous no matter what you wear.

… But adding some fun and flirty flash to rev up your chosen duds certainly couldn’t hurt, am I right? I’m right. I know that, for me, an extra-lovely, slightly sparkly touch of jewelry always serves to brighten my outlook when it’s just one of those days when the threads and the blush just aren’t enough.

They even have a special section for V-Day. (That’s where I found all of this yumminess <– I love that word; wonder who coined it. I thought I made it up until a few months ago. That was a disappointing day.)

As announced on Twitter, we’re doing a Countdown to Valentine’s Day Tour, right here within the confines of this bloggity blog blog. So, less a tour, per se, more a countdown to Valentine’s Day. But all the same to you, right? What? Just get to the project? Oh… oh okay. Here you go…

So, I am madly in love with this little V-Day inspired project from Molly of The Purl Bee!

Valentine’s Day approaches, and I don’t have to tell you which flower is practically synonymous with that holiday. So, what could be better than rose barrettes? They’re pretty adorable, and I think they’d be quite a chic addition to any little kiddo’s otherwise drab V-Day ensemble. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing. (Even if you don’t think you are, you will be, trust me. My sister’s little girl wears THE CUTEST OUTFITS ON EARTH, and my sister – hey, Jen! – is and has always been the polar opposite of what one would call a “girlie girl.” Go figure.

When I have a little girl, she’ll be wearing felt barrettes that I made with my bare hands and she’ll LIKE IT.

Molly gives you a step by step tutorial over at The Purl Bee ~ be sure to check it out so you can get crackin’ on these cuties!

I can totally see one of these barrettes atop the precious little noggin of a flower girl. Or even an arrangement of four or five in a row, creating a kind of homemade head wreath! Oooohh that would be too cute for words. I would LOVE to see a picture of that in action!

I totally have those clips, you probably do, too. Everybody had those growing up!

I’d love to see how these turn out, my darling readers. If you decide to try your hand at this project, you MUST send a shot to theknottybride {@} gmail {dot} com!